The 21-year-old singer from Perth, and powerful LGBTQ advocate, took out Song of the Year with his hit Youth.

"This means the whole world to all of us. I've been able to do some pretty crazy things in the last year and this feels like the coolest," Sivan said.

"This is for every gay Australian kid who wants to go and make music and every LGBTQ kid who wants to go and make music -- you can totally do it, and win an ARIA too."

The young singer's career was sparked on Youtube -- a platform he has used to not only share his music but to speak openly about coming into the music industry as a gay person. One of his Youtube videos on coming out in 2013 has now clocked up more than seven million views.

Sivan also took out Best Video for his acoustic version of Youth which has clocked up over 55 million views.

Marriage equality continued to be advocated throughout the night with Kylie Minogue and her fiance, Joshua Sasse, presenting an award in matching marriage equality t-shirts.

Sia, who took home Best Female Artist of the Year, nominated marriage equality campaigner Angie Greene to accept the award on her behalf.

Greene said the singer wanted the award to go to "every single non-hetero and gender-diverse person who can currently not marry the person that they love in this country".

Flume took over early on in the night, taking out Best Independent Release with his second studio album Skin, closely followed by Best Dance Release (Skin) and Best Pop Release for his hit track Never Be Like You.

Thirty years after the formation of the band, its founding member Neil Finn was introduced to the stage by comic duo, Flight of the Conchords.

"It has been thirty years, so there are a lot of people to thank," Finn said as he paid tribute to family, friends, former members and late drummer, Paul Hester. "We wouldn't have been anywhere near as engaging or amusing...without Paul."

Missy Higgins and Bernard Fanning kicked off a musical tribute to Crowded House before the band took to the stage.

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21-year-old Sydney singer-songwriter and 2012 Triple J Unearthed High finalist Montaigne (aka Jessica Cerrico) won Best Breakthrough Artist -- one of three nominations for her first ARIAs show.

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The Breakthrough Artist wore her politics on her sleeve.

Other winners included Bernard Fanning, who took out Best Adult Contemporary Album for Civil Dusk, and Violent Soho, who scooped up Best Group and Best Rock Album with their album WACO.

The Brisbane quartet bowed down to Aussie legend and presenter Jimmy Barnes as they picked up their ARIA, beating Boy & Bear, Gang Of Youths and The Living End to the post.